Building a window sash

[Roald Euller]

A little background: My uninsulated, unheated garage shop has two single pane double hung wooden windows that are about 100 years old. The lower sash of one window is rotten and I need to replace it. However the frame and upper sash are in fine condition. I have searched the web and the local yellow pages (Washington DC) hoping that it would be easy to find a replacement sash, but everyone seems to want to sell either a full blown replacement window that fits into a rough opening, or a "sash replacement kit" consisting of upper and lower sash plus a new sash liner and weighting system.

But I don't want all of this, what I want is just a single new sash that I can drop into the exisiting frame, reattach the weights and stop, and get back to work.

Then it occurred to me that a window is really no different from a picture frame, expect that the stock is thicker and the joinery is probably mortice and tenon. So, my question to you is, why can't I just build a new sash? If I go this route, can't I just mill standard 2x pine to the correct size (eliminating some of the fancy edge millwork) and join it appropriately? I have the exisiting window that I can dismantle to inspect the profile, joinery, etc. Am I missing something?

Thanks in advance!

[Ben Grunow]

No. Typically matching bits are used to cope and shape the ends and edges but square profiles work just as well and are much faster. For the shop you could just screw through the stiles into the rails from the outside if one pane of glass is all you need. Use waterproof glue and get it done. Could be an hour project excluding the paint if you want it to be.

You can buy a single glazed sash in just about any size from a good lumber yard and they are dirt cheap. Worth looking into if time has more value than money (everyone has their own scale).